C  O-. 


ST.  PAUI/S  CHURCH,  NEWBURYPORT,  MASS. 
(  From  an  old  print ) 


TWO   HUNDREDTH   ANNIVERSARY 

ST.   PAUL'S    PARISH 

NEWBURYPORT,  MASS. 


Commemorattoe 


WITH 


HISTORICAL    ADDRESSES 


PRINTED  FOR  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 
NEWBURYPORT,  MASS. 


Copyright   1912 
by  M.  S.  Thompson 


The  Southgate  Press  —  T.  W.  Ripley  Co. 
Boston 


PREFACE 


When  the  parishioners  and  friends  of  St.  Paul's  Church  were  asked 
to.  contribute  to  a  fund  to  be  used  for  erecting  the  Memorial  Cross  and  for 
defraying  the  expenses  of  the  Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  Celebration, 
the  response  was  spontaneous  and  generous,  subscriptions  being  received 
from  nearly  every  family  in  the  Parish,  and  from  many  out-of-town 
friends  and  former  parishioners.  The  amount  received  was  more  than 
was  asked  for,  and  after  all  expenses  of  the  Celebration  were  paid  there 
was  a  surplus,  which  has  been  used  as  a  nucleus  for  publishing  this 
little  volume.  It  is  designed  that  every  family  in  the  Parish,  and  every 
other  contributor  to  the  memorial  fund,  shall  have  a  copy. 

ft  has  been  no  easy  task  to  collect  the  subjects  and  reproductions 
for  the  illustrations,  and  a  word  of  explanation  seems  necessary  about 
the  picture  of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel.  No  picture  was  known  to  be  in 
existence ;  but  so  many  references  to  the  Chapel  are  found  in  the  Records, 
and  in  various  documents  available,  (including  John  Bridger's  agreement 
to  build  the  Chapel),  giving  details  of  the  structure,  that  these  were 
collected  and  studied,  and  a  sketch  made  based  on  these  descriptions. 
Shortly  afterwards,  Mr.  Joshua  Hale,  in  looking  over  some  of  the 
ancient  diaries  which  have  been  kept  by  his  family  for  many  genera- 
tions, discovered  a  rough  pencil  sketch  of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel,  made 
many  years  ago,  which,  when  compared  with  the  sketch  made  from 
the  written  descriptions,  was  found  to  be  identical,  except  in  small  details. 

We,  who  have  the  privilege  of  worshiping  in  old  St.  Paul's  Church, 
should  realize,  with  pride,  that  ours  is  the  oldest  Protestant  Episcopal 
Parish  in  Massachusetts,  that  the  first  Bishop  of  Massachusetts  spent 
his  entire  ministry  at  St.  Paul's,  and  that  we  possess  practically  complete 
records  of  the  Parish  from  the  foundation  of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel  in 
1711,  to  the  present  day  —  an  unusual  circumstance. 

It  seems  almost  impossible  that  any  one,  with  a  spark  of  sentiment, 
who  has  attended  the  old  church  and  knows  its  history,  or  who  has  had 
any  connection  with  its  associations,  can  do  otherwise  than  have  some 
feeling  of  respect  and  love  for  it,  and  take  some  interest  in  its  preserva- 
tion and  usefulness. 

If  this  publication  helps  to  deepen  the  interest  and  affection  of  any 
of  its  readers  for  the  old  church,  it  will  not  have  been  issued  in  vain. 

MILTON   S.  THOMPSON, 
For   the   Committee   on  Publication. 


Special   Committees' 

APPOINTED  FOR  THE 

TWO  HUNDREDTH    ANNIVERSARY 
ST.  PAUL'S   PARISH 


Finance 
CHARLES  W.  MOSELEY         ALLEN  M.  BREWSTER         JOHN  F.  PEARSON 

Invitation 
THE  RECTOR         BRAINERD  P.  EMERY         JOHN  F.  PEARSON 

Public  Services 
THE  RECTOR         SENIOR  AND  JUNIOR  WARDENS 

Hospitality 
MOSES  BROWN         ALLEN  M.  BREWSTER 

Press  and  Printing 
BRAINERD  P.  EMERY  WILLIAM  F.  HOUSTON 

Memorial  Publication 
MILTON  S.  THOMPSON         THE  RECTOR         CHARLES  W.  MOSELEY 

The  Memorial 
THE  RECTOR          MILTON   S.   THOMPSON 


CONTENTS 


PREFACE    5 

SPECIAL  COMMITTEES 6 

MEMORIAL  SERVICES 13 

BY  THE  RECTOR 

CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND  IN  NEWBURY 21 

BY  REV.  DR.  RUFUS  EMERY 

ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH,  NEWBURYPORT 35 

BY  HON.  JOHN  J.  CURRIER 

QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL 57 

BY  REV.  DR.  RUFUS  EMERY 

ORGANIZATION   ST.   PAUL'S   CHURCH,   1911 66 

MINISTERS'  AND  RECTORS'  AUTOGRAPHS 68 

A  LAST  WORD                                                                69 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


St.  Paul's  Church  (from  old  print) Frontispiece 

Rev.  A.  H.  Wright,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church 12 

Grave  of  Bishop  Bass          14 

At  Dedication  of  Memorial  Cross,  Procession 15 

Right  Rev.  Win.  Lawrence,  I).  D 16 

At  Dedication   of  Memorial  Cross,  The  Choir   Singing      ...  17 

Dedication  of  Memorial  Cross  by  Bishop  Lawrence 18 

Flagon 19 

At  Dedication  of  Memorial  Cross,  Bishop  Speaking     ....  20 

Rev.  Rufus  Emery,  D.   D 22 

John  Bridger's  Agreement  to  Build  Queen  Anne's  Chapel  ...  25 

Governor  Dudley's  Letter          27 

Rev.  Matthias  Plant's  License,  1721,  from  John,  Bishop  of  London  29 

Handwriting   of    John    Lambton 32 

Signatures  to  By-Laws,  Queen   Anne's   Chapel,   1722  ....  33 

J.   Bridger's   Seal  and  Signature,   1711 34 

Hon.  John  J.   Currier 36 

Edward  Bass'  Declaration,  1752,  Signed  by  Thomas,  Bishop  of 

London 42 

Brattle    Organ 43 

Old  Prayer-Book  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Showing  Changes  made  by 

Bishop  Bass  during  the  Revolution 44 

Right  Rev.  Edward  Bass,  D.  D 46 

Corner   Stone   St.   Paul's   Church 48 

The  Paul  Revere  Bell 49 

St.   Paul's   Church,   1911 50 

Tablet  to  Memory  of  Bishop  Bass 53 

Interior  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  1911 55 

9 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Queen    Anne's    Chapel 58 

Grave  of  Rev.  Matthias  Plant 61 

Grave  of   Mr.   Samuel   Bartlett 61 

Grave  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Bartlett 62 

Grave  of  John  Bayley,  "Clark"       .      .      . 62 

Weather-vane,  Queen  Anne's  Chapel 64 

Old  Silver  of  St.  Paul's  Church 65 

Grave  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Bartlet,  "A  Maiden  Gentlewoman"  ...  67 

Facsimiles  of  Signatures  of  Rectors 68 

A  Little  Grave  70 


10 


MEMORIAL    SERVICES 


RECTOR  or  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 


MEMORIAL  SERVICES 


THE  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  the  services 
of  the  Church  of  England  in  Newbury  and  the  erection  of  Queen  Anne's 
Chapel  (of  which  St.  Paul's  Church,  Xewburyport,  is  the  continuation) 
was  celebrated,  with  appropriate  services,  on  Sunday  and  Monday, 
June  4  and  5,  1911.  Invitations  had  been  extended  to  the  Bishop  and 
all  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese,  ministers  of  the  local  churches,  former 
parishioners  and  friends,  and  goodly  congregations  were  present.  The 
weather  was  delightful,  and  nothing  marred  the  successful  carrying  out 
of  the  careful  and  complete  arrangements  made  by  the  Rector  and 
Vestry.  On  Sunday,  June  4  (Whitsunday),  the  Holy  Communion  was 
celebrated  at  7.30  A.M.,  and  Morning  Prayer  was  read  at  9.30  A.M.  A 
second  celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion  took  place  at  10.30  A.M., 
when  the  Rev.  Rufus  Emery,  D.D.,  delivered  an  address,  recounting  the 
circumstances  attending  the  beginning  of  the  services  of  the  Church  of 
England  in  this  neighborhood,  with  an  interesting  description  of  the  first 
church  building  and  its  early  history.  Evening  Prayer  was  read  at  4.30 
P.M.,  and  the  Hon.  John  James  Currier,  Historian  of  Newbury  and  Xew- 
buryport, traced  the  later  history  of  the  Parish  from  the  founding  of 
St.  Paul's  Church  to  the  present. 

The  Rector  was  assisted  in  the  services  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rufus 
Emery,  the  Rev.  Glenn  Tilley  Morse,  of  West  Xewbury,  the  Rev.  George 
F,  Degen,  of  Dummer  Academy,  Byfield,  the  Rev.  Henry  W.  Foote,  of 
South  Groveland,  and  Mr.  Walworth  Tyng,  lay  reader. 

At  the  close  of  the  afternoon  service,  the  clergy,  choir,  and  con- 
gregation gathered  about  the  grave  of  Bishop  Bass  in  the  churchyard, 
where  a  brief  memorial  service  was  held,  and  a  cross  of  yellow  lilies 
laid  upon  his  tomb,  a  picturesque  and  touching  conclusion  to  the  services 
of  the  day. 

Monday,  the  day  appointed  for  the  unveiling  of  a  Memorial  Cross 
to  mark  the  site  of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel,  was  ideal,  the  sky  being  over- 
cast and  the  temperature  cool  and  comfortable.  The  Holy  Communion 

13 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 


THE  GRAVE  OF  BISHOP  BASS  ix  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCHYARD 


was  celebrated  at  7.30  A.  M.  At  11  A.  M.  a  large  company  gathered  at 
the  site  of  the  original  Queen  Anne's  Chapel,  in  what  is  now  a  part  of 
Belleville  Cemetery,  where  a  Celtic  Cross,  of  Westerly  granite,  ten  feet 
high,  had  been  erected  as  a  permanent  memorial  of  the  ancient  church. 

Although  the  original  chapel  had  long  been  destroyed,  and  nothing 
remained  above  ground  to  mark  the  location,  the  site  was  determined 
by  measurements  based  on  old  records,  and  by  a  survey  made  by  a  civil 
engineer,  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Charles  W.  Moseley,  one  of  the 
vestrymen  of  the  parish.  In  excavating  for  the  foundation  of  the 
Memorial  Cross,  what  is  believed  to  have  been  a  part  of  the  old  founda- 
tion of  the  Chapel  was  discovered. 

Promptly  at  the  appointed  hour  the  procession  entered  the  church- 
yard, singing  "  The  Church's  One  Foundation."  Seats  had  been 
arranged  about  the  cross,  which  was  veiled  by  a  large  American  flag, 
and  the  sight  was  most  picturesque  as  the  procession,  consisting  of 

14 


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ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

crucifer,  musicians,  vested  choir,  clergy,  and  Bishop,  wended  its  way 
to  its  appointed  place.  The  service,  conducted  by  the  Rector,  was 
heartily  joined  in  by  the  congregation,  and  was  most  inspiring,  the 
order  being  as  follows:  —  Processional,  "The  Church's  One  Founda- 
tion" ;  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  Versicles ;  Psalms  84  and  122 ;  Hymn  196, 
"Our  Father's  God,  -to  Thee";  Creed  and  Prayers;  Hymn  176,  "  For 


RIGHT  REV.  WILLIAM  LAWBEXCE,  D.  D. 

Bishop  of  Massachusetts 

All  the  Saints";  Address  by  the  Rev.  Rufus  Emery,  D.D. ;  Hymn  359, 
"In  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  Glory";  Unveiling  and  Dedication  of  the 
Cross ;  Address  by  the  Right  Rev.  William  Lawrence,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 
Massachusetts ;  Hymn  460,  "  From  all  that  dwell  below  the  skies " ; 
Benediction;  Recessional,  "O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past." 

The  cross  was  unveiled  by  Mr.  H.  Paine  Bartlet,  of  New  York, 
assisted  by  Master  Haydn  Page  Sawyer,  of  Newburyport,  both  being 
descendants  of  vestrymen  of  the  original  Queen  Anne's  Chapel,  Bishop 
Lawrence  dedicating  it  with  appropriate  prayers.  The  cross  was  pur- 

16 


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MEMORIAL    SERVICES 

chased  with  funds  contributed  by  more  than  two  hundred  persons,  a 
most  pleasing  indication  of  the  widespread  interest  in  the  past  history 
of  the  parish  and  a  happy  augury  of  unceasing  interest  in  its  future 
welfare. 

The  cross  is  located  at  a  spot  which  is  believed  to  be  about  where 
the  altar  stood  in  the  original  chapel,  and  probably  not  far  from  the 
grave  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Lucas,  who  was  buried  under  the  altar.  The 
inscription,  carved  in  raised  letters,  reads  as  follows : 

"  This  cross  is  raised  A.D.  1911,  to  mark  the  site  of  Queen  Anne's 
Chapel,  erected  A.D.  1711,  in  which  were  held  the  first  services 
of  the  Church  of  England  in  Newbury." 

Immediately  in  front  of  the  Cross  there  has  been  placed  a  large  flat 
stone,  formerly  the  doorstone  of  the  Rev.  Matthias  Plant's  house.  In 
the  pictures  of  the  Cross  the  Bishop  is  seen  standing  on  this  stone. 

At  the  close  of  the  services  the  company  returned  to  the  Parish 
House  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  where  a  general  reunion  of  past  and  present 
parishioners  and  friends  took  place,  and  a  bountiful  luncheon  was  served. 

In  connection  with  these  anniversary  services  a  most  appropriate 
and  valuable  gift  was  received  from  Miss  Margaret  Woodbridge  Gush- 
ing, of  Newburyport,  who  gave  an  exact  reproduction  of  the  original 
flagon,  which  had  been  presented  by  King  William  and  Queen  Mary 
"to  their  Maj'ties  Chappel  in  New  England  1694,"  and  which,  after 
having  been  in  possession  of  St.  Paul's  Church  for  many  years,  was 
stolen  in  1887.  This  beautiful  reproduction,  so  interesting  a  reminder 
of  the  olden  times,  was  used  for  the  first  time  at  the  morning  service 
on  June  4,  1911.  ARTHUR  H.  WRIGHT. 


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THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND 
IN  NEWBURY 

From  the  Founding  of  Queen  Anne  s  Chapel,  Newbury 

to  the  Establishment  of  St.  Paul's 

Church,  Newburyport 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND 
IN  NEWBURY 

AN  ADDRESS  BY  THE  REV.   RUFUS  EMERY,  D.D. 

IN  ST.   PAUL'S  CHURCH,  NEWBURYPORT 

SUNDAY  MORNING,  JUNE  4,  1911 


FIFTY  years  after  the  settlement  of  Newbury  at  Parker  River,  the 
population  had  extended  northward  along  the  Merrimack  River  and 
westward  to  and  beyond  the  Artichoke.  This  part  of  the  town  was 
called  the  West  End,  and  also  the  New  Town.  The  distance  of  the  new 
town  from  the  old,  was  such,  that  it  proved  a  great  hindrance  in  attend- 
ing public  worship  at  the  old  town. 

For  this  reason,  in  1685  some  inhabitants  of  the  West  End  asked 
of  the  town  consent  and  assistance  in  getting  some  help  in  the  ministry 
among  them,  "  as  they  lived  so  remote  from  the  means."  Receiving  no 
consent  nor  assistance,  sixteen  persons  built,  in  1689,  at  their  own 
charge,  a  house  thirty  feet  square  on  the  Plains  in  the  vicinity  of  Saw- 
yer's Hill.  In  1690,  divers  inhabitants  of  the  West  End  made  several 
propositions  to  the  town  in  regard  to  their  calling  a  minister. 

The  proposals  not  being  accepted  by  the  town  the  inhabitants 
secured  for  themselves  a  minister,  Mr.  Edward  Tompson,  a  school 
teacher  in  the  town. 

The  old  town  remonstrated  at  this  action  as  irregular  and  an 
intrusion,  and  chose  another  minister  for  the  new  town  in  place  of 
Mr.  Tompson.  The  new  town  refused  to  receive  him,  as  they  already 
had  one,  and  asked  to  be  separated  from  the  old  town. 

From  these  circumstances  there  arose  much  discussion  and  dissat- 
isfaction, and  probably  bad  feeling  between  the  old  town  and  church 
and  the  new  town,  and  legal  means  were  used  in  the  contest ;  some  per- 
sons were  imprisoned  and  some  fined.  At  this  time  the  inhabitants  of 
the  new  town  asked  the  General  Court  to  interpose  in  their  concerns 
and  take  effectual  care  for  their  relief,  for  the  sake  of  the  quiet  of  the 

whole  town. 

23 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

Soon  after  this  the  town  by  vote  set  off  the  West  Precinct  as  a 
separate  Parish  and  established  a  dividing  line,  fixed  the  place  for  the 
meeting-house  for  the  new  town,  and  authorized  them  to  choose  a  min- 
ister for  themselves;  and  gave  authority  to  the  majority  to  remove  the 
old  house  when  they  should  see  cause. 

From  this  time  for  ten  years  there  was  a  constant  struggle  between 
the  two  parties,  one  for  the  new  house  in  a  convenient  locality,  and  the 
other  to  retain  the  old  house  in  its  position. 

In  1705,  the  majority  voted  to  build  a  new  house  on  Pipe  Stave 
Hill,  to  be  done  in  five  years.  This  resulted  in  opposition,  difficulties 
and  petitions  to  the  General  Court  from  both  parties. 

After  five  years  the  General  Court  confirmed  the  vote  of  the  town 
that  Pipe  Stave  Hill  was  the  place  for  the  meeting-house,  and  when  all 
things  were  ready  the  minister  was  to  remove  there. 

In  the  following  year,  1711,  it  was  voted  to  sell  the  buildings  and 
land  on  the  Plains  for  the  benefit  of  the  Pipe  Stave  Hill  location,  and  to 
take  the  seats,  boards,  and  glass  out  of  the  old  house  to  be  improved  in 
the  new  house,  and  in  a  convenient  time  to  remove  the  old  house,  to  be 
set  up  as  a  barn  for  the  minister  on  Pipe  Stave  Hill. 

In  July,  1711,  the  majority  went  to  the  Plains  by  night,  tore  down 
the  old  house  and  removed  it  to  Pipe  Stave  Hill.  This  roused  the 
minority.  They  at  once  prepared  the  material  for  a  new  house  and 
proceeded  to  raise  and  cover  it  in  opposition  to  the  protest  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court.  Later  all  work  on  the  new  house  was  stopped  by  a  positive 
order  from  the  Court.  At  the  time  of  raising  the  new  building,  the 
builders  in  the  hearing  of  a  great  company  declared  it  to  be  the  Queen's 
Chapel. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  John  Bridger,  officer  of  the  Queen,  a  zealous 
Churchman  and  a  Vestryman  of  King's  Chapel,  Boston,  hearing  of  their 
difficulties,  wrote  to  them,  commending  their  good  affection,  zeal,  and 
resolution  towards  the  Established  Church  of  Great  Britain,  and  prom- 
ising to  defend  them  from  all  damage,  to  procure  them  a  minister,  and 
to  show  them  how  to  get  aid  from  the  Society  for  Propagating  the 
Gospel.  Under  his  direction  they  petitioned  the  Bishop  of  London,  who 
gave  them  encouragement. 

Mr.  Bridger  assisted  them  by  buying  the  land,  and  gave  his  bond 
to  finish  the  Chapel,  they  furnishing  the  men  and  means.  When  the 

24 


FACSIMILE  OF  JOHN  BRIDGER'S  AGREEMENT  TO  BUILD  QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

building  was  finished  Mr.  Bridger  procured  the  Rev.  Henry  Harris,  of 
Boston,  to  visit  them  and  instruct  them  in  the  ways  of  the  Church. 
Mr.  Harris  could  not  have  Church  of  England  services  every  Sunday. 
On  the  days  when  Mr.  Harris  was  not  at  the  Chapel,  the  records  show 
the  house  was  "  improved  "  in  a  dissenting  way. 

This  circumstance  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  Cotton  Mather, 
who,  in  a  letter  to  Wait  Winthrop,  says :  "  Our  Newbury  faction  are 
coming  off  and  putting  themselves  under  the  conduct  of  one  of  our 
ministers." 

About  this  time  twenty-two  freeholders  of  the  town  of  Newbury 
petition  Governor  Dudley  for  protection  and  encouragement,  stating 
that  they  are  declared  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  England  as 
by  law  established,  and  that  they  have  raised  a  building  for  the  service 
of  God  according  to  the  manner  prescrioed  in  the  said  Church. 

The  Governor  recommended  that  they  be  peaceably  allowed  in  their 
lawful  proceedings  and  not  to  be  taxed  for  the  support  of  any  other 
public  worship  in  the  town. 

A  few  months  later  Col.  Francis  Nicholson,  being  authorized  by  the 
Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  to  settle  a  missionary  at  Newbury, 
got  Captain  Blacket  of  Her  Majesty's  ship  Phenix  to  let  his  Chap- 
lain, the  Rev.  John  Lambton,  go  to  Newbury  to  officiate  there  till  further 
orders  from  the  Society.  Mr.  Lambton  came  to  Newbury  November  14, 
1712;  he  found  a  handsome  building  raised  and  finished  at  the  sole 
expense  of  the  inhabitants. 

During  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Lambton  the  first  election  for  Wardens 
and  Vestrymen  for  the  Chapel  was  held,  and  a  petition  sent  the  Society 
asking  that  Mr.  Lambton  may  have  the  salary  given  by  the  Society. 
The  congregation  during  Mr.  Lambton's  stay  numbered  more  than 
two  hundred.  Mr.  Lambton  was  obliged  by  ill  health  to  resign  his 
charge. 

A  year  after  the  leaving  of  Mr.  Lambton  the  Rev.  Henry  Lucas 
was  transferred  from  Braintree  to  Newbury.  He  came  in  1715.  The 
absence  of  a  missionary  for  a  year  produced  the  impression  that  the 
mission  was  neglected,  or  perhaps  had  been  abandoned  by  the  Society. 
In  consequence  of  this  idea,  some  of  the  inhabitants  took  possession  of 
the  Chapel  and  established  their  own  mode  of  worship,  removing  the 
vestments,  ornaments,  and  books. 

36 


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fujM^afab  Wam&KaAL>&CL/Uj  trfavr9i 
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j>~-  '    w.  5^:-\  ,.'  _  f  ••*  a 


FACSIMILE  OF  GOVERKOR  DUDLEY'S  LETTER 
(See  Rev.   Dr.   Emery's  address,   page  2(5) 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

When  Mr.  Lucas  came  and  showed  his  credentials,  the  Chapel  was 
given  up  to  him,  and  the  articles  removed  were  restored.  A  division  of 
the  attendants  occurred.  A  part  with  their  minister  set  up  services  in 
a  house  near  by.  Another  part  remained  and  attended  the  Church  ser- 
vices. This  division  caused  Mr.  Lucas  much  trouble.  He  succeeded  in 
restoring  peace  in  some  degree,  though  the  effects  lasted  through  his 
ministry.  Mr.  Lucas  was  of  influence  among  the  people  as  a  physician. 
The  ministry  under  Mr.  Lucas  has  been  described  as  a  "  thorny  cure." 
The  minister  and  people  seem  to  have  been  unsuited  to  each  other.  Both 
were  disappointed  in  their  expectations,  and  but  little  sympathy  existed 
between  them.  He  died  August  23,  1720,  and  was  buried  on  the  25th 
of  August  under  the  altar  of  the  Chapel  by  the  Rev.  David  Mossom,  of 
Marblehead. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Lucas  till  the  coming  of  the  Rev.  Matthias 
Plant,  in  1722,  there  was  a  vacancy  of  more  than  a  year,  during  which 
time  Mr.  Mossom  officiated  occasionally  in  the  mission. 

In  1718,  during  Mr.  Lucas's  ministry,  a  bell  was  given  to  the  Chapel 
by  the  Bishop  of  London  and  placed  in  the  steeple,  where  it  remained 
till  1770,  when  during  a  severe  storm  the  front  of  the  Chapel  was  blown 
down  and  the  bell  thrown  into  the  road.  It  was  taken  care  of  by 
Mr.  David  Whitmore  and  preserved  by  Mr.  Josiah  Little  till  a  school- 
house  was  built  on  High  Street,  Belleville,  when  it  was  put  in  the  belfry 
of  that  building,  where  it  served  to  call  pupils  to  school  and  the  congre- 
gation of  Belleville  to  public  worship. 

In  1837  the  schoolhouse  was  removed  from  High  Street,  Belleville, 
to  Pilsbury's  Lane  (now  Ashland  Street),  the  bell  remaining  in  the 
belfry.  It  was  used  there  till  Christmas  Eve,  1839,  when  it  was  removed 
in  the  night  and  secretly  disposed  of. 

In  1721,  Rev.  Matthias  Plant,  a  graduate  of  Jesus  College,  Cam- 
bridge, 1712,  was  appointed  by  the  Society  as  missionary  for  Newbury. 
He  came  to  Newbury  April  24,  1722,  and  lodged  at  Samuel  Bartlett's. 
He  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the  Chapel  April  29,  1722,  and  was 
married  in  the  Chapel  by  Mr.  Mossom  to  Lydia,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Bartlett,  December  27,  1722. 

Mr.  Plant  at  once  reorganized  the  mission,  preparing  standing 
orders  for  the  good  regulation  and  ordering  of  the  affairs  of  the  Church 
relating  to  officers  and  their  duties.  By  these  rules  the  minister  had  the 

28 


ifjtf'gj&iilljTl 


.. 

•s.fiilll 

' 


ffli-s-tp-a  §(2  g£w 
5  a**-*  I.§«5 1  S. 


4^SU*nJilUlU«:: 

f|  g.--:.  .  -g.g.5  sg|||  J;§;|ll  |§-  ^  : 
.  fi^  '^  <s  Sc.sHs  gfauu  ge  H  i     KaS^tjS 

I'liHSiiillilliiM 

.ti^Miiifjlii-liiili^y 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

right  to  choose  one  of  the  Wardens  and  three  of  the  Vestrymen.  The 
Wardens  and  Vestrymen  to  be  members  of  the  Church.  A  majority  of 
the  parishioners  to  decide  all  matters  relating  to  the  Church. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Plant's  coming  to  the  Chapel,  Samuel  Shute,  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Province,  visited  the  Church  in  Newbury  and  spent  a 
Sunday.  He  reported  to  the  Society  that  Mr.  Plant  seemed  a  sober 
and  ingenious  man.  He  also  says  that  there  were  with  him  Lieutenant- 
Governor  Wentworth  and  other  gentlemen,  which  he  hopes  will  give 
him  a  good  countenance,  and  that  Mr.  Plant  shall  want  no  due  encour- 
agement from  him. 

The  Governor  made  good  his  promise,  for  in  a  few  weeks  he  issued 
a  mandamus  freeing  all  members  of  the  mission  from  taxation  for  all 
other  bodies. 

For  twenty  years,  from  1722  to  1742,  Mr.  Plant  served  every 
Sunday  at  the  Chapel.  When  a  church  was  built  at  the  Waterside 
(Xewburyport)  he  for  a  time  officiated  alternately  at  the  Chapel  and 
at  the  Church  (St.  Paul's). 

Later,  a  difficulty  having  arisen  between  Mr.  Plant  and  the  Water- 
side people,  his  services  were  confined  to  the  Chapel  for  about  three 
years.  After  which,  by  order  of  the  Society,  he  resumed  services  at  the 
Waterside,  holding  alternate  services,  and  continued  them  till  his  death 
in  1753,  as  his  health  would  allow.  Owing  to  his  infirmities  there  were 
many  times  when  there  were  no  services  at  either  place. 

In  1751,  the  difficulties  having  been  amicably  settled  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  Society,  Mr.  Plant  was  inducted  into  St.  Paul's 
Church.  He  was  to  secure  an  assistant  and  allow  him  twenty  pounds 
per  annum.  In  the  same  year  Mr.  Plant  chose  Rev.  Edward  Bass  as  his 
assistant.  Mr.  Bass  being  acceptable  to  Mr.  Plant  and  St.  Paul's 
Church,  went  to  England  for  orders  and  received  ordination  as  deacon, 
from  Bishop  Sherlock,  in  Fulham  Chapel,  May  17,  1752,  and  Priest 
May  24,  1752.  He  returned  to  Newbury  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year 
and  entered  on  his  work  at  St.  Paul's. 

In  1753,  the  Society  being  informed  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Plant, 
appointed  Mr.  Bass  (at  the  request  of  the  Church  Wardens)  as  Mis- 
sionary in  Newbury,  directing  him  to  officiate  once  a  month  at  Queen 
Anne's  Chapel,  which  he  did  till  1766,  when  services  there  were  discon- 
tinued, as  much  the  greater  part  of  the  worshipers  resided  nearer  the 

30 


THE    CHURCH    IN    NEWBURY 

Church  at  the  Waterside,  and  as  the  Chapel  was  out  of  repair  it  was 
agreed  by  the  worshipers  at  both  churches,  without  opposition,  to 
assemble  altogether  in  St.  Paul's  Church. 

Mr.  Plant  was  zealous  in  his  profession,  taking  a  fatherly  care  of 
his  people,  regulating  his  affairs  with  wisdom  and  prudence.  He  was  a 
man  of  strict  integrity  and  a  high  sense  of  decorum.  He  was  a  success- 
ful farmer,  a  land  owner,  and  a  careful  observer  of  men  and  events.  He 
records  in  his  parish  register  unusual  events,  as  storms,  floods,  excessive 
cold,  and  earthquakes.  He  was  liberal  in  his  donations.  He  gave  fifty 
pounds  for  the  new  Church,  paid  eighty  pounds  for  the  glass  and  sixty 
pounds  for  arrearages,  besides  many  smaller  sums  outside  of  his  mission. 

Mr.  Plant  died  April  2  and  was  buried  April  4,  1753,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Cutler  of  Christ  Church,  Boston,  preaching  his  funeral  sermon. 

In  1760,  some  of  the  attendants  at  the  Chapel,  by  reason  of  the 
omission  of  services  three  Sundays  in  the  month,  joined  with  others  in 
forming  a  new  Parish  and  used  the  Chapel  by  permission  for  their  ser- 
vices, till  they  could  build  a  meeting-house  of  their  own.  It  is  prob- 
able that  from  1760  to  1766  there  was  Congregational  worship  three 
Sundays  in  the  month  and  Church  of  England  service  every  fourth 
Sunday. 

The  establishment  of  a  mission  of  the  Church  of  England  in  New- 
bury  was  not  a  subject  of  "  mere  local  concern."  It  attracted  wide 
attention. 

King's  Chapel  in  Boston  existed  from  political  necessity,  not  by 
the  permission  of  the  ruling  powers.  It  was  looked  upon  as  an  unwel- 
come and  intrusive  body.  It  had  existed  for  a  quarter  of  a  century 
and  had  increased  in  numbers  and  influence. 

During  this  time  missions  of  the  Church  had  been  formed  north  and 
south  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  but  King's  Chapel  remained  the  only  place 
in  the  Province  where  the  services  of  the  English  Church  were  publicly 
celebrated. 

Scattered  Churchmen  read  the  service  in  the  privacy  of  their  homes 
and  went  occasionally  to  the  Chapel  in  Boston  on  some  great  festival 
like  Christmas  or  Easter.  To  the  watchful  observers  there  were  no 
signs  of  the  extension  of  the  Church,  and  they  no  doubt  earnestly  hoped 
that  there  would  be  none,  and  that  the  Prayer  Book  service  had  been 
restrained  and  effectually  limited. 

31 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

This  feeling  of  security  was  suddenly  broken  when  twenty  persons 
of  the  West  Precinct  of  Newbury  (not  known  as  favorers  of  the  Church 
of  England)  delivered  to  Governor  Dudley  a  petition  saying  that  they 
were  of  "  the  pure  Episcopal  Church  of  England,"  and  that  they  had 
sent  to  the  Bishop  of  London  for  a  minister  and  that  they  desired  protec- 
tion. 

This  action  was  of  importance  as  showing  a  distinct  gain  in  open- 
ing the  way  for  greater  freedom  in  religious  liberty.  For  this  reason 
it  was  an  occasion  of  grief  and  fear  to  the  opponents  of  the  Chapel  and 
of  encouragement  and  joy  to  those  who  believed  in  and  favored  it. 

To  the  eminent  diarist,  Judge  Samuel  Sewall,  it  was  a  grievance 
that  the  Church  of  England  had  been  set  up  in  his  family  town  of 
Newbury. 

To  Col.  Francis  Nicholson  and  John  Bridger  it  brought  satisfac- 
tion as  showing  that  the  services  which  they  loved  and  venerated,  and 
for  which  they  zealously  labored,  had  gained  a  new  station  in  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  and  was  a  sign  of  further  extension. 

Queen  Anne's  Chapel  stands  in  the  history  of  Massachusetts  Bay 
as  a  significant  sign  of  the  exercise  of  the  right  of  Liberty  of  Conscience 
and  of  the  inherent  right  of  worshiping  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  one's  conscience.  As  such  it  is  worthy  of  commemoration  and  remem- 
brance and  of  thanks  to  God  for  its  founding  and  preservation. 


m  i/Pu_>  <ut£UY  i 


nL 


FACSIMILE  OF   HANDWRITING  OF  THE 

REV.  JOHN  LAMBTON 
From  the  records  of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel 


vawK^faad&fc 


SlGXATUUES    TO    THE    Bv-I,AWS    OF    QuEEX    ANNE'S    ClIAPEL, 

XOVEMHER  22,  \~-22 
From  Queen  Anne's  Chapel    Records 


FACSIMILE  OF  J.  BRIDGER'S  SEAL  AND  SIGNATURE 
From  letter  in  St.  Paul's  Church  records,  dated  January  20,   1711 


ST.    PAUL'S  CHURCH 
NEWBURYPORT 

From  its  Establishment  in   1738 
to  the  present  time 


ST.    PAUL'S    CHURCH 
NEWBURYPORT 

ADDRESS  BY  HON.  JOHN  J.  CURRIER  IN  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 

SUNDAY   AFTERNOON,  JUNE  4,   1911 


When  Queen  Anne's  Chapel  was  built  in  1711,  Newbury  was  an 
agricultural  town,  and  the  inhabitants,  interested  in  maintaining  relig- 
ious worship  at  the  "  Plains,"  were  practical  and  prosperous  farmers. 
A  few  years  later  ship-building  was  established,  in  favorable  locations, 
at  the  Waterside  between  Chandler's  Lane,  now  Federal  Street,  and 
Ordway's  Lane,  now  Market  Street,  Newburyport,  and  trade  with 
Barbadoes  and  other  West  India  Islands  was  carried  on  quite  exten- 
sively. In  1738,  Joseph  Atkins,  Patrick  Tracy,  Michael  Dalton,  An- 
thony Gwynn,  and  other  merchants  and  sea  captains,  suggested  the 
building  of  a  new  church  for  the  accommodation  of  the  inhabitants  living 
near  the  centre  of  the  town. 

To  this  suggestion  Rev.  Matthias  Plant  gave  his  assent  and  sub- 
scribed the  sum  of  fifty  pounds  to  be  expended  in  the  purchase  of  mate- 
rials for  the  proposed  new  edifice. 

May  13,  1738,  Joseph  Atkins  purchased,  of  Moses  Ordway,  land 
on  the  corner  of  Ordway's  Lane,  now  Market  Street,  and  the  country 
road,  now  High  Street,  and  February  3,  1741,  conveyed  this  land,  with 
a  building  erected  thereon,  to  the  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  St.  Paul's 
Church.  At  that  date  the  building  was  unfinished,  and  although  con- 
venient and  comfortable  was  evidently  devoid  of  architectural  grace 
or  beauty. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Wardens  and  Vestrymen,  held  May  1,  1744, 
a  contract  was  made  with  Eben  and  Nathan  Little  to  build  the  pulpit 
and  pews  in  the  body  of  the  Church  for  one  hundred  pounds,  and  with 
Ephraim  Blaisdell  to  plaster  the  walls  and  ceiling  for  eighty  pounds. 

Four  of  the  pews  built  at  that  date  were  assigned  to  Joseph  Atkins, 
three  to  Thomas  Tannatt,  two  to  Patrick  Tracy,  three  to  Joseph  Cottle, 

37 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

two  to  Michael  Dalton,  two  to  Benjamin  Harris,  one  to  John  Crocker, 
one  to  William  Atkins,  one  to  Thomas  Woodbridge,  one  to  Ambrose 
Davis,  and  one  to  Daniel  Marquand.  Other  pews  were  assigned  to 
William  Jaques,  Joseph  Greenleaf,  and  others,  including  one  to  the 
Wardens  and  one  to  strangers. 

The  men  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  St.  Paul's  Church  were 
evidently  merchants  of  broad  and  liberal  views ;  sea  captains  familiar 
with  the  worship  and  ritual  of  the  Church  of  England  in  foreign  lands, 
or  mechanics  and  artisans  of  recognized  skill  and  ability. 

JOSEPH  ATKINS,  for  many  years  one  of  the  Wardens  and  Vestry- 
men of  the  Church,  was  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Sara  Atkins.  He  was 
baptized  November  4,  1680,  in  St.  Clement's  Church  in  the  town  of 
Sandwich,  County  of  Kent,  England,  and  probably  came  with  his  wife 
and  two  sons  to  Newbury,  Mass.,  in  1724.  A  few  years  later  his  wife 
died,  and  April  7,  1730,  he  married  Mary,  widow  of  Francis  Wain- 
wright,  of  Boston,  daughter  of  Joseph  Dudley,  Governor  of  the  Province 
of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  sister  of  Katharine,  wife  of  Lieut. -Governor 
William  Dummer.  He  owned  and  occupied  a  spacious  dwelling-house 
on  what  is  now  Strong  Street,  Newburyport,  with  an  attractive  garden 
extending  to  the  Merrimack  River.  He  died  January  21,  1773,  and 
was  buried  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard.  The  inscription  on  his  tombstone 
reads  as  follows : 

This  Stone 
Is  erected  to  the  Memory 

of 

Joseph  Atkins,  Esquire, 
One  of  the  Founders  and  a  Generous 

Benefactor 

of  this  Church. 

Formerly  an  Eminent  Merchant 

In  this  town 
And  highly  esteemed  by  those  who  knew  him. 

He  departed  this  life 
January  21,  1773,  jEtat  92 

and  of 

Mrs.  Mary  Atkins, 

The  virtuous  and  amiable  Relict 

of  Joseph  Atkins,  Esquire, 

and  daughter  of 

His  Excellency  Joseph  Dudley. 

She  died  November  19,   1774,  jEtat  82. 

38 


ST.    PAUL'S    CHURCH 

PATRICK  TRACY,  elected  Vestryman  in  1743,  served  in  that  capacity 
for  several  years.  He  was  probably  born  in  Wexford  County,  Ireland, 
but  came  to  Newbury  at  a  very  early  age,  and  soon  became  a  promi- 
nent shipmaster  and  ship-owner.  He  married,  first,  Hannah  Carter,  of 
Hampton,  N.  H. ;  second,  Hannah  Gookin  of  the  same  town ;  and  third, 
Mary,  widow  of  Michael  Dalton.  His  sons  by  the  second  marriage, 
Nathaniel  and  John  Tracy,  and  his  daughter,  Hannah,  who  married 
Jonathan  Jackson,  were  conspicuous  in  the  commercial  and  social  life 
of  Newbury  and  Newburyport  previous  to  the  Revolution.  He  died 
February  28,  1789,  and  was  buried  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard. 

BENJAMIN  HARRIS  was  one  of  the  Wardens  of  St.  Paul's  Church 
in  1743,  and  afterwards  served  as  Vestryman  for  ten  or  fifteen  years. 
He  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Henry  Harris,  and  was  born  in  Boston  in  1718. 
He  came  to  Newbury  in  1738,  and  was  one  of  the  subscribers  to  the 
fund  raised  to  defray  the  cost  of  building  St.  Paul's  Church.  He  mar- 
ried in  October,  1740,  Lucy  Whitman,  of  Stowe,  by  whom  he  had  two 
daughters,  Elizabeth,  born  November  8,  1741,  and  Mary,  born  No- 
vember 9,  1746.  For  many  years  he  owned  and  occupied  a  dwelling-house 
on  Greenleaf  Lane,  now  State  Street,  and  through  land  on  the  easterly 
side  of  this  house  Harris  Street  was  laid  out  in  1796.  He  died  March 
8,  1773,  and  was  buried  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard. 

CAPTAIN  JOHN  CROCKER  was  a  member  of  Christ  Church,  Boston, 
and  married,  April  12,  1727,  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mehitable 
Savage.  He  removed  to  Newbury  in  1737,  probably,  and  was  one  of 
the  Wardens  of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel  in  1739  and  served  as  Vestryman 
in  1740.  When  the  new  church  building  on  the  corner  of  Ordway's 
Lane,  now  Market  Street,  and  the  Country  Road,  now  High  Street,  was 
completed  he  was  elected  Vestryman  and  afterwards  held  the  office  of 
Warden  until  1753  and  perhaps  later.  He  had  a  ropewalk  on  the 
easterly  side  of  Frog  Pond,  on  land  now  known  as  Bartlet  Mall,  where 
he  manufactured  cordage  for  ship-owners  and  ship-builders.  He  died 
March  19,  1763,  and  was  buried  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard. 

THOMAS  TANNATT  was  one  of  the  Vestrymen  of  St.  Paul's  Church 
in  1743  and  was  subsequently  reelected  to  that  office  or  to  that  of 

39 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

Warden  for  ten  or  fifteen  years.  He  was  a  sea  captain  and  died  in 
Newbury  July  21,  1759,  leaving  a  widow,  Mary,  and  one  son,  Thomas 
Tannatt.  After  the  death  of  his  father  Thomas  Tannatt,  Junior, 
learned  the  trade  of  a  baker  and  established  himself  in  business  in 
Newburyport.  In  1793  he  sold  his  dwelling-house,  bakeshop  and  land 
and  removed  to  Boston. 

MICHAEL  DAI/TON,  son  of  Philemon  and  Abigail  (Gove)  Dalton 
was  born  in  Hampton,  N.  H.,  February  22,  1709,  and  came  to  Newbury 
when  only  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  of  age,  looking  for  employment. 
After  several  successful  voyages  to  the  West  Indies  he  was  placed  in 
command  of  a  ship,  and,  February  3,  1733-4,  married  Mary,  daughter 
of  Tristram  Little.  A  few  years  later  he  purchased  a  house  on  the 
northwesterly  side  of  Market  Square,  where  he  lived  until  1746,  when 
he  built  and  afterwards  occupied  the  house  on  State  Street,  now  the 
property  of  the  Dalton  Club.  He  was  one  of  the  Vestrymen  of  St. 
Paul's  Church  in  1743,  and  afterwards  served  in  that  capacity  or  as 
Warden  for  more  than  twenty-five  years.  He  died  March  1,  1770,  and 
was  buried  in  the  southeasterly  corner  of  the  churchyard,  near  the 
grave  of  Patrick  Tracy. 

ANTHONY  GWYNN,  born  in  Bristol,  England,  married,  October  26, 
1738,  Mary  Gerrish,  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  and  two  years  later  purchased 
one-half  a  dwelling-house,  with  the  land  under  and  adjoining  the  same, 
near  the  meeting-house  then  standing  in  what  is  now  Market  Square, 
Newburyport.  He  was  Warden  of  St.  Paul's  Church  in  1745  and  1746, 
and  Vestryman  from  1747  to  1753.  In  the  early  deeds  of  conveyance 
to  and  from  him  he  was  sometimes  called  Mariner,  but  more  frequently 
Merchant.  During  the  last  years  of  his  life  he  owned  and  occupied  a 
house  on  Water  Street,  near  the  foot  of  Federal  Street,  with  the  wharf 
adjoining,  now  the  property  of  Cashman  Brothers.  He  died  leaving 
no  children,  and  by  his  will,  dated  February  21,  1772,  and  proved 
February  6,  1777,  he  gave  the  whole  of  his  estate,  real  and  personal, 
to  his  wife,  Mary,  who  survived  him. 

DANIEL  MARQUAND  was  Warden  of  St.  Paul's  Church  in  1745  and 
Vestryman  in  1746,  1748,  and  1749.  He  married  Mary  Brown,  of 

40 


ST.    PAUL'S    CHURCH 

Newbury,  and  lived  for  many  years  in  a  house  on  Water  Street,  at  the 
head  of  what  is  now  Commercial  Wharf.  He  died  May  31,  1789,  when 
eighty-nine  years  of  age.  The  house  that  he  owned  and  occupied  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  with  several  warehouses  adjoining,  was  destroyed  in 
the  great  fire  of  1811. 

THOMAS  WOODBRIDGE,  a  Vestryman  of  St.  Paul's  Church  in  1743 
and  annually  elected  to  that  office  until  chosen  Warden  in  1749,  was 
born  in  Newbury  January  31,  1708-9;  a  lineal  descendant  of  Rev.  John 
Woodbridge,  and  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Woodbridge.  He  married 
Dorothy  Titcomb  June  10,  1735,  and  by  this  marriage  had  several 
children ;  Sarah,  a  daughter,  baptized  by  Rev.  Mr.  Plant,  of  Queen 
Anne's  Chapel,  June  16,  1738,  and  a  son  (name  not  recorded)  baptized 
by  the  same  clergyman,  October  7,  1739. 

He  purchased  a  dwelling-house  on  the  northwesterly  corner  of 
State  Street  and  Market  Square  in  1746,  with  land  under  and  adjoin- 
ing the  same,  and  lived  there  for  many  years. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Dorothy  (Titcomb)  Woodbridge, 
he  married  Sarah  Greenleaf,  November  21,  1749.  He  was  one  of  the 
subscribers  to  the  fund  raised  by  members  of  St.  Paul's  Church  in  1756 
for  the  purchase  of  an  organ,  imported  by  Thomas  Brattle,  and  by  him 
bequeathed  to  the  proprietors  of  King's  Chapel  in  Boston. 

In  1763  he  was  one  of  the  petitioners  to  the  General  Court  for  the 
incorporation  of  the  town  of  Newburyport,  and  was  at  that  time  an 
active  and  enterprising  ship-builder  and  part  owner  in  several  small 
vessels. 

In  1768  his  brothers,  Benjamin  and  Joseph  Woodbridge,  conveyed 
to  him  land  with  the  buildings  thereon  at  the  foot  of  State  Street,  after- 
wards known  as  the  Ferry  Wharf  property,  and  at  or  about  the  same 
time  he  leased  for  a  term  of  ten  years  land  in  the  rear  of  the  present 
Police  Station,  then  known  by  the  name  of  the  Middle  shipyard. 

The  date  of  his  death  is  uncertain,  but  he  was  buried  January  21, 
1774,  by  Rev.  Edward  Bass. 

Other  merchants  and  men  of  prominence  in  Newbury  were  interested 
in  the  effort  to  establish  and  maintain  public  worship  in  the  new  church 
and  contributed  liberally  to  the  fund  raised  for  that  purpose.  In  1743 

41 


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ST.   PAUL'S   CHURCH 


an  agreement  was  made  with  Rev.  Matthias  Plant  to  supply  the  pulpit 
and  read  the  service  every  other  Sunday  until  otherwise  ordered.  This 
arrangement,  however,  did  not  prove  satisfactory  and  led  to  complica- 
tions that  left  St.  Paul's  Church  without  a  settled  minister  for  nearly 
nine  years. 

In  the  meantime  Rev.  Mr.  Plant  remained  in  charge  of  Queen  Anne's 
Chapel  and  devoted  his  whole  time  to  its  temporal  and  spiritual  affairs. 

After  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  reconcile  the  conflicting 
views  and  opinions  of  Rev.  Mr.  Plant  and  the  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of 
St.  Paul's  Church,  a  settlement  was  finally  agreed  upon  June  24,  1751, 
and  Edward  Bass  was  sent  to  England  to  be  ordained  to  the  priesthood. 
On  his  return  to  Massachusetts  in  October  or  November,  1752,  he  was 
appointed  assistant  to  Rev.  Mr.  Plant,  who  was  then  in  charge  of  both 
the  Episcopal  churches  in  Newbury. 

Although  Queen  Anne's  Chapel  and  St.  Paul's  Church  had  separate 
organizations  and  were  to  a  certain  extent  independent  of  each  other, 
they  were  subject  to  the  same  ecclesiastical  authority,  were  located  in 
the  same  town,  and  constituted  one  parish  that  still  retains  its  ancient 
rights  and  privileges  in  the  Diocese  of  Massachusetts. 

Rev.  Mr.  Plant  died  April  2,  1753.  After  that  date  Rev.  Edward 
Bass  officiated  in  the  chapel  on  the  Plains  until  1765,  when,  owing  to 
the  death  of  many  of  the  older  parishion- 
ers, and  the  dilapidated  condition  of  the 
building,  services  were  discontinued. 

The  church  at  the  Waterside,  also 
under  the  care  of  Rev.  Mr.  Bass,  was  more 
vigorous  and  prosperous,  and  arrange- 
ments were  made  to  build  additional  pews 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  increased 
number  of  worshipers. 

In  January,  1753,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  agree  with  some  suitable  per- 
son to  build  a  porch  and  front  gallery  to 
the  church,  and  in  1756  an  organ  was  pur- 
chased of  the  treasurer  of  King's  Chapel, 
in  Boston,  and  was  probably  the  first  one 
set  up  in  the  town  of  Newbury.  It  was 

43 


THE  BRATTLE  ORGAN  PURCHASED 
IN  1756  BY  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 
FOR  £500. 


Name,  and  the  benefit  ot  thy 

holy   Church,    through  Jefus 
Chrift  our  Lord.  Amen. 

h  Court  of 
their 

MOST  gracious  God,  we 
humbjyjbgjpech  thee,  as 
tor  this  aaHMbtt  in  general,  fo 


this  time  arlembled;  Thatthou 
wouldcft  be  pleafed  to  direct 
and  profper  all  their  Confulta- 
tions  to  the  advancement  of 
thy  Glory,  the  good  of  thy 
Church,  the  fafety.^honour, 

d\  r»  r»    '"ft  A    &4+*  A  £L*  .        * 

welfare,  of 


things  may  be  fo  ordered  and 
fettled  by  their  endeavours, 
upon  the  beft  and  fureft  foun- 
dations, that  peace  and  happi- 
nefs,  truth  and  juftice,  religion 
and  piety,  may  be  eflabliihed 
among  us  for  all  generations. 
Thefe,  and  all  other  necefla- 
rics,  for  them,  for  us,  and  thy 
whole  Church,  we  humbly  beg 
HI  the  Name  and  mediation  of 
Jefus  Chrift,  our  moft  blelfed 
Lord  and  Saviour.  Amen. 

f  A  Collect,  or  'Pitr^r  for  all  Con- 
'///,  to  he  ujcd  at  jnch 
Titne^  when  tbe  I  Maty  is  not  ap- 
.tedtobe  [aid. 

OGod,  the  creator  and  pre- 
ferverofall  mankind,  we 


tnat  tnou  woi 
to  make  thy  \ 
them;  thy 'ft* 
all  Nations.  M 
pray  for  the  gc 
Catholick  Chu 
be  fo  guided  a 
thy  good  Spir 
profefs    and 
Chrillians,  ma 
way  of  truth,  : 
in  unity  of  Ipi 
of  peace,  and 
of  life.   Final! 
to  thy  Fatha 
thofe  who  are 
ed  or  diitreHet 
or  eftate  f  *  c/p 
thofe  Jot   si-hut 
pniycrs  arc  <k 
that  it   may 
thee   to  comf 
them  accordir 
ral  neceffities ; 
tience  under 
and  a  happy 
their  affli&ion 
beg  for  Jefus 
Amen. 

^  si  'Prayer  tin, 
any  of  ti 

OGod,  v,  1 
property 
mercy  and  to 
our  humble 
though  we  be 
with  the  chair 
let  the  pitifuln 
mercy  loofe  u« 


PAGE  FROM  PRAYER  BOOK  OF  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 
SHOWING  CHANGES  MADE  BY  BISHOP  BASS  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION 

Kingdom  "  changed  to  "  Commonwealth." 

High   Court  of  Parliament  under  our  most  religious  and  gracious  King "   changed 
to  "  General  Court." 

Our  sovereign  and  his  kingdom,"  changed  to  "  this  People." 


ST.   PAUL'S   CHURCH 

afterwards  sold  to  St.  John's  Church,  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  and  although 
more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  old  is  still  in  use  at  the  chapel 
services  in  that  church. 

At  the  regular  Easter  Meeting  held  April  1,  1771,  the  proprietors 
of  St.  Paul's  Church  voted  to  petition  His  Excellency  Thomas  Hutchin- 
son,  governor  of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  humbly  request 
that  the  communion  plate  recently  taken  from  King's  Chapel,  Boston, 
in  exchange  for  a  more  elaborate  service  from  King  George  the  Third, 
"  be  given,  granted  and  assigned  "  to  the  Church  at  Newburyport. 

In  answer  to  this  petition  a  flagon  inscribed  with  the  words  "  The 
gift  of  K.  William  and  Q.  Mary  to  ye  Rev'd  Sam'l  Myles  for  the  use  of 
their  Maj'ties  Chappel  in  New  England  1694  "  and  a  chalice  bearing 
the  inscription  "  Ex  dono  Johannis  Milles  1693  "  were  sent  to  Mr.  Bass 
and  remained  in  possession  of  the  parish  until  stolen,  with  other  com- 
munion plate,  in  1887. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War  the  inhabitants  of  New- 
bury  and  Newburyport  were  thoroughly  aroused  to  the  importance  of 
the  impending  struggle,  and  fearing  that  the  use  of  certain  collects 
and  prayers  would  seriously  interfere  with  the  work  and  influence  of 
St.  Paul's  Church  and  possibly  lead  to  serious  results,  the  Wardens  and 
Vestrymen,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Rev.  Mr.  Bass,  requested  him  to 
omit,  at  morning  and  evening  service,  all  prayers,  collects,  or  suffrages 
relating  to  the  King,  Royal  Family,  or  Government  of  Great  Britain. 

Deeply  impressed  with  the  difficulties  of  the  situation,  and  anxious 
to  avoid  criticism,  Mr.  Bass,  after  consultation  with  prominent  members 
of  the  parish,  considered  it  wise  and  prudent  to  comply  with  the  request. 
The  proposed  changes  were  promptly  made  and  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  amended  and  temporarily  revised,  continued  in  uninterrupted 
use  in  the  parish  until  long  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

These  alterations  in  the  Prayer  Book  and  the  observance  of  days 
appointed  by  Congress  for  fasting  and  thanksgiving,  ultimately  led  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  to  drop  the 
name  of  Mr.  Bass  from  the  list  of  missionaries  in  its  service  in  New  Eng- 
land. Accused  of  giving  aid  and  encouragement  to  the  rebellious  sub- 
jects of  the  King,  he  replied  that  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as 
minister  he  had  only  made  such  concessions  as  the  exigencies  of  the 

case  demanded. 

45 


ST.    PAUL'S    CHURCH 

It  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  Mr.  Bass,  like  many  other 
clergymen,  merchants,  lawyers,  and  statesmen,  living  in  the  Province  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  separation  from 
England  was  undesirable,  and  he  may  have  contemplated  its  possible 
accomplishment  with  considerable  apprehension  and  anxiety,  but  there 
is  no  evidence  that  he  sought  by  word  or  deed,  in  the  pulpit  or  out  of 
it,  to  oppose  the  wishes  or  restrict  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  ardent 
and  zealous  supporters  of  the  Continental  Congress.  He  abstained  from 
personal  controversy,  resolutely  refused  to  preach  upon  political  topics, 
and  was  evidently  undisturbed  by  troublesome  dissensions  in  his  parish, 
although  Tristram  Dalton,  afterwards  Senator  to  Congress  from  Massa- 
chusetts ;  Rufus  King,  twice  Minister  plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of 
St.  James ;  Patrick  Tracy,  an  eminent  merchant,  zealous  and  patriotic ; 
Captain  Thomas  Thomas  and  Captain  Nicholas  Tracy,  owners  and 
commanders  of  successful  privateers ;  and  many  others  who  contributed 
in  various  ways  to  the  support  of  the  Colonial  Government,  were  members 
of  his  congregation. 

After  the  commencement  of  hostilities  he  was  occasionally  mis- 
represented and  some  times  treated  with  indignity,  but  he  was  seldom 
irritated  or  annoyed  by  criticism  or  comment  on  his  conduct  and  con- 
tinued his  parochial  work  all  through  the  war. 

August  30,  1789,  a  letter  signed  by  the  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of 
St.  Paul's  Church  was  sent  to  the  Episcopal  churches  in  Massachusetts 
and  New  Hampshire  requesting  their  cooperation  in  an  effort  to  obtain 
a  representation  of  the  laity  in  the  councils  of  the  Church  and  asking 
them  to  elect  lay  delegates  to  attend  the  convention  to  be  held  in  Phila- 
delphia September  29,  1789.  This  suggestion  was  not  favorably  received 
and  most  of  the  churches  declined  to  take  any  action  in  regard  to  it, 
but  the  members  of  St.  Paul's  Church  elected  Hon.  Tristram  Dalton 
and  Hon.  Elbridge  Gerry  delegates  to  the  convention,  instructing  them 
to  insist  on  the  proposed  amendment  of  the  Constitution  and  Canons 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  America.  Since  that  date  the 
laity  as  well  as  the  clergy  have  been  represented  in  the  General  Con- 
vention and  taken  part  in  its  deliberations. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Salem,  Mass.,  June  4,  1789,  the  clergymen 
having  charge  of  Episcopal  churches  in  Massachusetts  and  New  Hamp- 
shire elected  Rev.  Edward  Bass  bishop,  "  to  be  received  as  such  when 

47 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

canonically  consecrated  and  invested  with  the  Apostolic  office."  Owing 
to  the  difficulty  of  securing  the  cooperation  of  the  Right  Rev.  William 
White,  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Right  Rev.  Samuel  Provoost, 
Bishop  of  New  York,  and  the  Right  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  Bishop  of 
Connecticut,  the  consecration  of  Rev.  Mr.  Bass  was  delayed  several  years. 

In  the  summer  of  1791  Bishop  Seabury,  of  Connecticut,  preached 
in  St.  Paul's  Church  and  confirmed  a  hundred  and  thirty  or  forty  per- 
sons. This  was  probably  the  first  time  that  a  Bishop  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  had  visited  Newburyport,  officially,  and  administered 
the  rite  of  confirmation. 

May  24,  1796,  Rev.  Mr.  Bass  was  re-elected  Bishop  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  Rhode  Island,  and  May  7,  1797,  he  was  consecrated  in 
Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,  Right  Rev.  William  White,  Bishop  of 
Pennsylvania,  Right  Rev.  Samuel  Provoost,  Bishop  of  New  York,  and 
Right  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Clagget,  Bishop  of  Maryland,  officiating. 


CORNER  STONE  OF  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 

48 


ST.   PAUL'S   CHURCH 


Proposals  for  a  new  church  building  were  discussed  and  finally 
agreed  to  previous  to  the  beginning  of  the  year  1800,  and  on  the 
twenty-fifth  of  March  of  that  year  a  committee  appointed  by  the  pro- 
prietors of  St.  Paul's  Church  agreed  with  Stephen  Toppan  to  remove 
the  old  building  and  erect  a  new  one  on  the  same  spot  with  a  vestry 
room  in  the  rear  and  "  a  piazza  of  the  Truscan  order  in  front  supported 
by  twelve  pillars."  The  Pulpit,  Reading  Desk  and  Clerk's  Pew  to  be 
similar  in  style  of  finish  and  workmanship  to  those  in  Trinity  Church, 
Boston.  The  bell,  organ,  and  reredos,  or  altar  piece,  were  to  be  taken 
down  and  set  up  again  in  the  new  church ;  everything  to  be  finished  and 
completed  in  a  workmanlike  manner  previous  to  October  15,  1800. 

If  an  architect  was  employed  to  make  the  plans  and  draw  up  the 
specifications  for  the  new  building  his  name  does  not  appear  in  the 
proprietors'  book  of  records,  and  probably  the  contractor,  Stephen 
Toppan,  was  well  qualified  and  able  to  furnish  all  that  were  needed. 
At  all  events  he  was  a  skilful  and  experienced  mechanic,  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  details  of  his  work  as  carpenter  and  house-builder. 

While  the  new  church  was  being  built  services  were  held  in  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Meeting  House  on  Harris  Street,  and  there  on 
the  twenty-second  day  of  May  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons  as- 
sembled to  assist  in  laying  the  cor- 
ner stone  of  the  new  edifice.  After 
prayers  had  been  offered,  the 
Apostles'  Creed  said,  and  the  Te 
Deum  sung,  Rev.  William  Bently, 
D.D.,  a  Congregational  clergyman 
of  Salem,  Mass.,  delivered  an  ad- 
dress suitable  to  the  occasion.  At 
the  close  of  these  exercises  a  pro- 
cession, escorted  by  the  officers 
and  members  of  the  Grand  Lodge, 
proceeded  to  the  corner  of  High 
and  Market  Streets  where  under  a 
triumphal  arch,  on  which  was  in-  Tm;  pu.r  RKV];RK  RI;II 

scribed,  in  letters  of  gold,  "  Holi-  rs,,d  iu  St.  Paul's  church  from  isn  to  1899 

49 


ST.    PAUL'S    CHURCH 

ness  to  the  Lord  "  the  cornerstone  was  laid  by  Bishop  Bass,  assisted 
by  his  Masonic  brethren. 

The  church  was  consecrated  October  8,  1800,  and  since  that  date 
has  been  devoted  to  the  development  of  the  Christian  religion  and  the 
public  worship  of  God. 

Bishop  Bass  died  suddenly  September  10,  1803,  and  was  buried 
in  St.  Paul's  churchyard.  On  the  nineteenth  day  of  October  following 
Mr.  James  Morss  was  invited  to  take  charge  of  the  parish,  and  early  in 
the  month  of  November  accepted  the  invitation.  He  was  born  in  New- 
buryport,  October  26,  1779,  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1800,  ordained 
deacon  July  3,  1803,  and  served  as  assistant  to  Bishop  Bass  for  two 
or  three  months.  June  11,  1804,  he  was  admitted  to  the  priesthood  by 
Bishop  Moore  of  the  French  Church  du  St.  Esprit  in  the  city  of  New 
York  and  for  nearly  thirty-nine  years  devoted  himself  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry  in  Newburyport.  One  of  his  sermons,  preached  in  1837, 
and  published  in  pamphlet  form,  contains  many  interesting  facts  relat- 
ing to  the  early  history  of  the  church  in  this  community.  He  died 
April  26,  1842,  and  was  buried  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard. 

The  reredos,  or  altar  piece,  taken  from  the  old  church  was  placed 
in  its  present  position  in  the  church  when  the  new  building  was  erected. 
Some  changes  were  made  at  that  time,  and  the  panel  containing  the  Ten 
Commandments,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  Apostles'  Creed  was  added. 
The  letters  on  this  panel  are  said  to  have  been  drawn  by  William  Woart 
and  painted  by  Edward  Bass,  nephew  of  Bishop  Bass. 

The  old  bell,  broken  while  being  rung  for  evening  service  December 
23,  1810,  was  replaced  February  14,  1811,  by  a  new  one  cast  in  1809 
by  Revere  &  Son,  of  Boston.  This  bell,  having  met  with  a  similar  mis- 
hap, was  rung  for  the  last  time  October  1,  1899,  and  afterwards  taken 
down  and  placed  in  an  alcove  in  the  tower  of  the  church,  where  it  still 
remains.  A  third  bell,  from  the  foundry  of  Meneely  &  Co.,  West  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  bearing  the  inscription,  "  To  the  glory  of  God  and  in  loving 
memory  of  Rev.  James  Morss,  D.D.,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Newburyport,  Mass.,  1803-1842  "  was  purchased  in  December,  1899, 
and  now  hangs  in  the  belfry.  It  was  rung  for  the  first  time  Sunday, 
January  7,  1900. 

In  1833  an  organ  built  in  Newburyport  to  take  the  place  of  one 
purchased  of  the  proprietors  of  King's  Chapel,  in  Boston,  in  1756,  was 

51 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

set  up  in  the  front  gallery  of  the  church,  opposite  the  chancel,  where  it 
remained  until  the  summer  of  1866,  when  it  was  removed  and  a  larger 
instrument  from  the  factory  of  S.  S.  Hamill,  of  East  Cambridge,  was 
purchased  and  placed  on  the  northwesterly  side  of  the  chancel  on  a 
level  with  the  church  floor.  This  organ  was  subsequently  sold,  and  a 
new  one,  built  by  the  Austin  Organ  Company,  of  Hartford,  Conn., 
was  completed  and  placed  in  its  present  position  in  February,  1905. 

In  the  summer  of  1843  the  interior  of  the  church  was  remodeled 
and  new  pews  were  built.  The  eagle  that  occupied  a  conspicuous  place 
above  the  altar,  at  that  date,  was  taken  down  and  mysteriously  disap- 
peared. Nearly  forty  years  later,  through  the  personal  efforts  of 
Major  Ben  Perley  Poore  and  Mr.  Charles  W.  Moseley,  it  was  restored 
to  its  former  position  in  the  church.  While  these  and  other  changes 
were  being  made  services  were  held,  on  Sundays  and  holydays,  in  the 
Court  House  on  Bartlet  Mall. 

The  stone  chapel  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  church  was  the  gift 
of  Rev.  William  Horton,  D.D.,  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church  from  1853 
to  1863.  It  was  consecrated  by  the  Right  Reverend  Manton  Eastburn, 
Bishop  of  Massachusetts,  May  23,  1863. 

A  choir  of  men  and  boys,  organized  in  1885  by  George  H.  Pearson, 
remained  under  his  care  and  supervision  until  March,  1895,  when  he 
resigned,  and  Hazard  Perry  Craig,  of  New  York  City,  accepting  the 
vacant  position,  had  charge  of  the  choir  for  a  few  months.  September 
29,  1895,  Victor  A.  Nicholson  was  appointed  organist,  and  since  that 
date  St.  Paul's  Church  has  been  indebted  to  him  and  to  the  members 
of  the  choir  for  a  musical  service  of  great  excellence. 

Christ  Chapel,  on  Merrimack  Street,  between  Jefferson  and  New 
streets  was  conveyed  to  the  proprietors  of  St.  Paul's  Church  in  190-1, 
and  religious  services  are  held  there  at  the  usual  hours  on  Sundays  and 
holydays  throughout  the  year. 

It  would  be  impossible,  in  the  limited  time  at  my  disposal,  to  give 
even  a  brief  summary  of  the  gifts  and  memorials  that  have  been  pre- 
sented to  St.  Paul's  Church  since  its  organization  in  1738,  but  I  will 
call  your  attention  to  a  few  of  the  donations  and  bequests  that  deserve 
honorable  mention  on  this  anniversary  occasion: 

In  September,  1874,  George  W.  A.  Williams,  of  Boston,  gave  in 
memory  of  his  wife,  Susan  Lydia  (Moody)  Williams,  a  former  com- 

52 


ST.   PAUL'S   CHURCH 

municant  of  the  church,  a  baptismal  font,  cut  from  a  solid  block  of 
Cleveland  stone;  and  in  1887  his  brother,  John  Q.  A.  Williams,  provided 


TABLET  TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  BISHOP  BASS 


in  his  will  for  the  purchase  of  a  marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  Right  Rev. 
Edward  Bass,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island;  a  solid 
silver  communion  service  "  in  memory  of  his  honored  parents,  Abraham 

53 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

and  Ann  Williams  " ;  and  a  clock  of  superior  workmanship  to  be  placed 
in  the  tower  of  the  church.  These  memorial  gifts,  purchased  by  a  com- 
mittee appointed  for  that  purpose,  have  an  appropriate  place  and  use 
in  the  service  of  the  church  and  for  nearly  twenty-five  years  have  been 
identified  with  its  history. 

In  1896  the  parish  house  in  the  rear  of  the  church,  built  with  funds 
raised  by  the  ladies  of  St.  Monica's  Chapter,  was  presented  to  the  parish 
and  has  since  been  used  for  special  meetings  of  the  Wardens  and  Vestry- 
men, for  the  accommodation  of  the  choir,  for  social  gatherings,  and  for 
other  purposes. 

In  1902  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars  was  deposited  with  the 
Trustees  of  Donations  for  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
Diocese  of  Massachusetts,  by  Samuel  Eliphalet  Emery,  Sarah  Noyes 
Emery,  Mary  Elizabeth  Emery,  Louisa  J.  Emery,  Frances  J.  Emery 
and  Georgiana  Emery,  children  of  Rev.  Samuel  M.  and  Mary  Hale 
Emery,  in  memory  of  their  father  and  mother,  the  principal  and  interest 
to  be  applied,  under  certain  restrictions,  to  the  payment  of  rent,  or  to 
the  purchase  of  a  parsonage  for  the  use  of  the  Rector. 

At  or  about  the  same  date  a  baptismal  ewer,  of  polished  brass, 
presented  to  the  church  by  Mrs.  David  A.  Andrews,  in  memory  of  her 
grandson,  David  Allen  Andrews,  Jr.,  was  received  and  consecrated  to 
its  use  in  the  service  of  baptism  as  provided  for  in  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer. 

In  1904  an  elegant  set  of  altar  hangings,  with  two  elaborate 
dossals,  embroidered  with  silk  and  gold,  a  small  communion  service  for 
special  use  in  the  visitation  of  the  sick,  and  a  fire-proof  safe  in  which  to 
keep  the  communion  silver,  were  presented  by  Henry  H.  Crapo,  Esq., 
of  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  in  memory  of  his  wife,  Caroline  (Caldwell) 
Crapo,  a  former  resident  of  Newburyport  and  for  many  years  a  com- 
municant of  St.  Paul's  Church. 

In  1905  Mary  Elizabeth,  Louisa  J.,  Frances  J.,  and  Georgiana 
Emery  purchased  several  estates  on  Market  and  Summer  streets, 
in  order  to  provide  space  for  the  future  enlargement  and  improve- 
ment of  the  church  building  whenever  it  should  become  necessary  or 
advisable. 

In  1907  the  pulpit,  choir  stalls  and  brass  chandelier  were  given  by 
Frederick  S.  Moseley,  who  also  contributed  liberally  for  the  purchase  of 

54 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

the  new  organ  and  for  the  improvements  made  in  the  interior  of  the 
church  during  that  year. 

In  addition  to  the  above  named  gifts,  a  bronze  tablet  in  memory  of 
Nathaniel  Foster,  for  nearly  fifty  years  Senior  Warden ;  a  stained  glass 
window,  in  the  chancel,  in  memory  of  David  P.  Page ;  a  marble  tablet 
in  memory  of  Rev.  George  Thomas  Chapman,  D.I). ;  and  a  prayer 
desk  for  use  on  Sundays  and  holydays,  —  have  been  presented  by 
loving  friends  and  communicants  of  the  church. 

The  events  and  incidents  that  have  occurred  in  the  history  of 
St.  Paul's  Church  since  the  death  of  Rev.  James  Morss,  in  1842,  are 
comparatively  well  known  and  do  not  require  any  special  comment 
or  detailed  description  at  this  time. 

Rev.  JOHN  S.  DAVENPORT  was  rector  from  December,  1843,  to  November,  1814. 

Rev.    EDWARD  A.   WASHBURN    from    October,   1845,   to   August,   1851. 

Rev.  WILLIAM   HOUTON   from   September,   1853,  to   October,   1863. 

Rev.  JOHN  C.  WHITE  from  October,  1863,  to  April,  1870. 

Rev.  GEORGE   D.   JOHNSON   from   November,   1870,  to  October,   1875. 

Rev.  EDWARD  L.   DROWN    from   May,   1876,   to   December,   1883. 

Rev.  JAMES  H.  VAX  BUREN  from  November,  1884,  to  July,  1890. 

Rev.  WILLIAM  C.   RICHARDSON  from  September,  1890,  to  July,  1897. 

REV.  ARTHUR  H.  WRIGHT,  faithful  and  efficient  rector  of  the 
church  from  March  5,  1899  to  the  present  time,  has  held  the  office  longer 
than  any  of  his  predecessors  except  Bishop  Bass  and  Rev.  James  Morss. 
Under  his  pastoral  care  and  supervision  the  Church  has  prospered,  and 
is  now  financially  strong  and  vigorous ;  better  able  to  do  its  work  in  this 
community  than  at  any  previous  time  in  its  history. 

It  owes  its  existence  and  spiritual  development  to  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  and  to  the  ministers 
of  Queen  Anne's  Chapel,  who  founded,  two  centuries  ago,  the  oldest 
parish  that  still  adheres  to  the  faith  and  principles  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  in  the  Diocese  of  Massachusetts. 

To  those  who  still  love  the  old  parish  and  this  ancient  church 
building  I  commend  the  comforting  words  of  the  Psalter  in  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer: 

"  THEY  SHALL  PROSPER  THAT  LOVE  THEE.  PEACE  BE  WITHIN  THY 
WALLS  AND  PLENTEOUSNESS  WITHIN  THY  PALACES.  FOR  MY  BRETHREN 
AND  COMPANIONS'  SAKE  I  WILL  WISH  THEE  PROSPERITY.  YEA  BECAUSE 

OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  LORD,  OUR  GOD,  I  WILL  SEEK  TO  DO  THEE  GOOD." 

56 


QUEEN    ANNE'S    CHAPEL 

An  Address  by  the  Rev.   Rufus  Emery,  D.  D.,  at  the 
Dedication  of  a  Memorial  Cross  marking  the  site 
of  the  Chapel,  Monday,  June  5, 


QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL 

BY   REV.   RUFUS    EMERY,  D.D. 


THE  building  known  in  the  General  Court  Records  as  "  the  in- 
tended meeting  house  "  and  later  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  West  Pre- 
cinct as  the  Queen's  Chapel,  was  raised  in  1711.  At  the  time  of  raising 
the  building,  the  builders,  in  the  hearing  of  a  great  number  of  people, 
declared  it  to  be  the  Queen's  Chapel.  The  builders  went  on  with  their 
work,  although  forbidden  to  do  so  by  the  General  Court,  until  all  work 
ceased  by  a  positive  mandate  from  the  General  Court. 

After  all  work  on  the  building  had  ceased,  Mr.  John  Bridger,  an 
officer  of  the  Queen,  came  to  their  aid.  He  bought  the  land  and  gave 
his  bond  to  finish  the  building,  the  inhabitants  furnishing  the  men 
and  means. 

The  building  was  fifty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide.  It  stood 
facing  the  east  on  the  Bradford  Road  (running  in  the  same  direction 
and  not  far  from  what  is  now  Storey  Avenue),  near  the  middle  of  the 
present  Belleville  Cemetery.  It  was  a  plain  wooden  building,  a  simple 
covered  frame.  It  had  a  steeple  on  which  was  a  vane.  It  had  entrances 
on  the  front  and  at  the  sides.  There  were  two  rows  of  windows.  There 
is  no  record  of  the  finishing  of  the  interior.  It  was  probably  furnished 
with  rough  benches  or  forms  for  the  congregation  and  a  pulpit  of 
simple  construction  for  preaching  and  reading  prayers.  Also  perhaps 
a  table  for  the  celebration  of  Holy  Communion. 

In  1718,  a  bell  was  given  by  the  Bishop  of  London  and  placed  in 
the  tower,  where  it  remained  till  1770,  when  it  was  thrown  down  by  a 
severe  storm. 

In  1726  the  Chapel  was  clapboarded  at  the  charge  of  the  attend- 
ants, aided  by  subscriptions  from  Boston.  Among  the  names  of  the 
contributors  are  found  the  names  of  the  well  known  merchants  John 
Jekyle  and  Andrew  Fancuil.  At  the  same  time  galleries  were  built  and 
pews  began  to  be  erected,  special  ones  being  provided  for  the  Wardens 
and  for  captains  of  vessels.  Later,  additional  pews  were  built  in  various 
parts  of  the  building  for  individual  members  of  the  Mission. 

59 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

In  1750  the  Chapel  was  repaired  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and 
six  pounds. 

After  this  time  the  Chapel  remained  unchanged  for  twenty  years, 
during  which  time,  no  repairs  having  been  made  on  it,  it  gradually 
decayed  until  1770,  when  in  a  severe  storm  a  part  of  the  building, 
including  the  steeple,  was  blown  down.  The  bell  was  thrown  into  the 
road  and  taken  care  of  by  a  Mr.  Whitmore,  and  saved.  The  seats  and 
galleries  were  preserved.  At  this  time  it  was  voted  by  the  proprietors 
that  the  remnant  of  the  Chapel  be  taken  down  under  the  direction  of  a 
committee  and  the  stuff  arising  from  the  building,  with  all  the  materials, 
be  used  for  some  public  purpose,  the  committee  to  account  to  the  pro- 
prietors. The  persons  who  saved  the  bell,  seats,  and  galleries  were 
also  to  account  to  the  proprietors.  There  is  no  record  of  the  various 
committees  being  called  to  account  for  the  remnants  of  the  building 
put  in  their  care,  nor  what  disposition  was  made  of  them.  The  remains 
of  the  Chapel  probably  remained,  gradually  decaying,  till  1777,  when 
on  a  Sunday  it  fell  to  the  ground. 

The  first  service  of  the  Church  of  England  held  in  the  Chapel  was 
by  the  Rev.  Henry  Harris,  Assistant  Minister  of  King's  Chapel,  Boston, 
and  Fellow  of  Jesus  College,  Oxford.  He  was  invited  by  Mr.  John 
Bridger  to  instruct  the  people  in  the  ways  of  the  Church. 

In  November,  1712,  the  Rev.  John  Lambton,  Chaplain  of  Her 
Majesty's  ship  Phenix,  was  sent  to  Newbury  by  Col.  Francis  Nich- 
olson, to  officiate  till  further  orders  from  the  Society  for  Propagating 
the  Gospel.  From  ill  health  he  resigned  February,  1714.  After  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Lambton,  some  of  the  inhabitants,  thinking  the 
Mission  neglected,  used  the  Chapel,  removing  the  vestments,  ornaments, 
and  books.  When  in  1715,  the  Rev.  Henry  Lucas  came  to  Newbury, 
from  Braintree,  the  Chapel  was  restored  to  him  and  the  articles  re- 
moved were  replaced.  The  Mission  was  a  thorny  one.  Minister  and 
people  were  dissatisfied  with  each  other.  He  died  August  23,  1720, 
and  was  buried  under  the  altar  of  the  Chapel  by  the  Rev.  David  Mossom, 
of  Marblehead,  who  held  occasional  services  at  the  Mission  till  the  com- 
ing of  Rev.  Mr.  Plant. 

The  Rev.  Matthias  Plant  was  appointed  Missionary  in  1721,  came 
to  Newbury  in  April,  1722,  and  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the  Chapel 
April  29,  1722.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Jesus  College,  Cambridge,  1712. 

60 


GRAVE  OF  REV.  MATTHIAS  PLANT,  1753 


GRAVE   OF   SAMUEL   BARTLETT,   1732 


GRAVE  OF  MRS.  SARAH   BAHTLETT,  1727 
Wife  of  Thomas   Bartlett 


GRAVE  or  JOHN  BAYLEY,  "CLARK"  OF  QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL,  1746 


QUEEN    ANNE'S    CHAPEL 

For  twenty  years  his  ministry  was  at  the  Chapel,  later  for  a  time  it  was 
equally  divided  between  the  Chapel  and  the  new  Church  at  the  Water- 
side, St.  Paul's.  After  several  years,  by  reason  of  a  misunderstanding, 
he  ceased  his  services  at  St.  Paul's,  but  resumed  them  and  continued 
them  the  remainder  of  his  life,  as  his  health  would  allow.  He  died  in 
1753.  After  his  death  his  assistant  and  successor  held  service  in  the 
Chapel  once  a  month  till  1766,  when  all  services  at  the  Chapel  ceased, 
as  the  larger  part  of  the  congregation  resided  at  the  Waterside.  Mr. 
Plant  was  a  faithful  missionary,  a  farmer,  a  land  owner,  well  known  to 
the  Colonial  authorities,  often  entertaining  them  at  his  house.  He  was 
liberal  to  the  Church,  and  joined  with  his  brethren  in  asking  for  Bishops 
for  America. 

The  erection  of  a  Chapel  of  the  Church  of  England  in  the  town  of 
Newbury  was  without  doubt  a  great  surprise  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
old  town  and  church  and  to  those  in  the  colony  who  were  opposed  to 
its  introduction.  Judge  Sewall  records  in  his  diary  his  surprise  when 
he  saw  the  certainty  of  what  he  could  not  believe,  when  twenty-two  of 
the  West  End  declared  that  they  were  of  the  pure  Episcopal  Church  of 
England,  and  asking  protection  from  the  Governor.  Cotton  Mather,  in 
a  letter  to  Wait  Winthrop,  speaks  of  the  Newbury  faction  as  losing 
their  interest  in  the  Mission. 

The  Rev.  Christopher  Toppan,  minister  of  the  old  parish,  calls 
the  Mission  a  factious  proceeding.  The  favorers  of  the  Church  of 
England  looked  at  it  in  another  light.  Colonel  Nicholson,  who  sent 
Mr.  Lambton  to  serve  till  a  permanent  missionary  could  be  secured, 
says  in  a  letter  to  the  Society :  "  I  fear  we  might  have  lost  an  oppor- 
tunity of  promoting  the  interest  of  the  Church  if  we  had  not  found 
this  expedient." 

Mr.  Bridger  writes  of  the  Newbury  Mission :  "  This  is  a  thing 
without  precedent,  I  presume,  to  have  a  body  of  people  to  leave  their 
schism  at  once." 

About  1732  the  Waterside  became  an  important  part  of  the  town 
through  ship-building  and  foreign  commerce,  and  attracted  many  mer- 
chants and  seafaring  men. 

They  naturally  desired  (as  the  inhabitants  of  the  West  End  did 
in  1685)  public  worship  among  themselves.  This  desire  led  to  the 

building  of  a  new  church  at  the  Waterside. 

(53 


ST.    PAUL'S    PARISH 

Mr.  Plant  aided  this  work  by  his  services  and  means,  for  he  saw 
that  the  Chapel  was  seated  at  some  disadvantage  for  ever  expecting  a 
very  large  congregation. 

For  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  services  of  the  Church  of  England 
were  celebrated  in  two  locations  in  the  town,  at  the  Chapel  on  this  spot 
and  at  St.  Paul's  at  the  Waterside. 

Later,  in  1766,  services  ceased  at  the  Chapel,  but  continued  at 
St.  Paul's,  where  for  over  a  century  and  a  half  petitions  of  penitence 
and  thanks,  of  prayer  and  praise,  have  ascended  to  Almighty  God 
through  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  from  a  multitude  of  contrite  and  devout 
worshipers. 


WEATHER  VANE  OF  QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL 

Recently  presented   to   St.   Paul's  Church  by  Mr.   Joshua   Hale  and   family, 
in  whose  possession  it  has  been  for  more  than  one  hundred  years. 


ST.    PAUL'S    CHURCH 

Cor.  High  and  Market  Streets,  Newburyport,  Mass. 
ORGANIZATION 


Rector 

REV.  ARTHUR  H.  WRIGHT 
220  High  Street 

Assistant 

REV.  RUFUS  EMERY,  D.D. 
West  Newbury 

Lay  Reader 
WALWORTH  TYNG 

Wardens 

MOSES   BROWN,   Senior  Warden 
JOHN  F.  PEARSON,  Junior  Warden 

Vestrymen 

ALLEN  M.  BREWSTER  WILLIAM    F.    HOUSTON 

BRAINERD  P.  EMERY  CHARLES  W.  MOSELEY 

MILTON  S.  THOMPSON 

Cleric  Treasurer 

MILTON  S.  THOMPSON  WILLIAM  F.  HOUSTON 

Treasurer  Trust  Funds  Collector 

CHARLES  W.  MOSELEY  Miss  MARY  T.  SPALDINO 

Organist  and  Choirmaster  Sexton 

VICTOR  A.  NICHOLSON  ROBERT   J.    McKiNNEY 

PARISH    SOCIETIES 
ALTAR  SOCIETY  GIRLS'  FRIENDLY  SOCIETY 

CHOIR  CLUB  ST.   ANNA'S   SOCIETY 

CHURCH  PERIODICAL  CLUB  WOMAN'S  GUILD 

WOMAN'S   AUXILIARY 

CHRIST  CHAPEL 

Corner  of  Merriniac  and  Moulton  Streets 
ST.  AGNES  SOCIETY  WOMAN'S  GUILD 


GRAVE  OF  "MRS.  SARAH  BARTLET,  A  MAIDEX  GENTLEWOMAN,"   1744 

Queen   Anne's  Chapel  Churchyard 
At  this  period  elderly  maiden  ladies  were  addressed  as  "  Mrs." 


FACSIMILE   SIOXATURES  OF  MINISTERS  OF  QUEEN    ANNE'S  CHAPEL  AND 
RECTORS  OF  ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH 


As  we  face  the  future,  it  seems  desirable 
that  the  attention  of  those  who  love  St.  Paul's 
for  all  it  has  been  in  the  past  should  be  called 
to  the  need  of  additional  endowment,  that  it 
may  do  the  work  that  lies  before  it  effectively 
and  well. 

Gifts  and  bequests  to  increase  the  endow- 
ment of  the  parish  are  among  the  best  forms 
of  memorial,  and  the  attention  of  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  future  welfare  of  the  parish 
is  called  to  this  means  of  assuring  the  contin- 
uance of  its  splendid  history. 


A  LITTLE  GRAVE  IN 
QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL  CHURCHYARD 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

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